Amusement apparatus.



G. G. HALE.

AMUSBMENT AFPARATUS.

c Y APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27. 1912. 1,097,627, Patented May 26, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SBIEBT 1.

www@ @Wye 6.77275@ GRM/uuid G. C. HALE.

.. AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 27,1912. 1 097,627, Patented May 26, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2. @l W p WW1/Lozano COLUMNA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON, n. c.

` G. C. HALE.

AMUSBMBNT APPARATUS.

APPLIOATION FILED N0v.27.1912.

1,097,627', Patented May 26, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

6MM/Mamma akker/wup coLuMm PLANDARMH C0..wASHxNaTON. D, c,

GEORGE C. HALE, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

AMUSEMENT APPARATUS.

To all whom it muy concern Be it known that I, Grenen C. l-laLn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Amusement Apparatus; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention is an amusement apparatus for exhibiting pictures taken from lofty towers, mountain tops, captive balloons, and the like, whereby an audience may view scenery at a low altitude which ordinarily can only be observed at high altitudes.

Many people are deprived of the pleasures of viewing scener 1 or cities from lofty places because of their weak or nervous conditions. rlhe purpose of this invention is to bring such views to the people and exhibit them in hotels, amusement parks, and the like, giving the spectators the impression that they are witnessing the views from high altitude where their physical condition would not permit them to visit, and where the camera has done its work.

The invention, stated in general terms, comprises an apparatus which may be set up upon the level floor of a hall or other structure, requiring no particular construction of the building. The apparatus embodies a reception room or elevator, an observatory or auditorium, an endless translucent belt positioned adjacent the reception room, view screens for the observatory, and means for projecting views and scenery upon the various screens and the belt.

The invention consists, further, in the combination of devices and the apparatus herein described and claimed.

1n the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this application, I have illust-rated one embodiment of the invention but the construction shown therein is to be understood as illustrative only, and not as defining the limits of the invention.

Figure 1 is an end view, partly in section, of the apparatus. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section of the apparatus, with some of the parts'in elevation. ltig. 3 is a plan view of the apparatus, and Fig. 4 is an enlarged detailed end view ofthe vibrating means. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail side elevation of the vibrating means..

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 27, 1912.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Serial No. 733,910.

The apparatus comprises a reception room 5, which is constructed to represent an elevator and an auditorium 6, constructed to represent an observatory. The elevator and observatory are mounted upon a suitable framework to support them above the floor or auditorium.

llhe elevator, or recept-ion room 5, is shown as a rectangular structure havingtwo doors and a window, the window 7 being positioned in a side wall of the elevator. One of said doors 8 serves as an entrance to the elevator, while the other door 9 admits the audience to the observatory. Depending from the floor 10 of the elevator are a plurality of brackets 1l supporting a plurality of rollers 12. The framework 13 positioned under the elevator 5 supports brackets 1li similar to the brackets 11 carried by the elevator 5, said brackets 14 being provided, also, with a plurality of rollers 11a, positioned substantially opposite to the rollers 11. Mounted intermediate of said rollers 11, 11, is ashaft 15 carrying a pulley or pulleys 16. These pulleys are revolved by any suitable means, such as the belt 17 running from a motor 18 positioned under the framework of the apparatus, although any other motive power may be employed. rlhe rotation of the shafts 15 causes a vibration of the elevator 5, which is supported upon said shafts, and gives the passengers the impression that the elevator is moving. This motor may be started and stopped by a lever 19 positioned within the elevator A suitable framework 20 is supported adjacent the elevator 5 to form a compartment 21 within which the picture projecting machine 22 may be positioned. This compartment is provided with a flooring 23, and the framework 2O is held in its position by the flooring and top braces 24E.

The framework 20` supports a plurality of rollers 25, shown in the drawings as four in number, and over these rollers is mounted an endless curtain 2G. This curtain is moved over these rollers by providing a pulley 25ZL on one of said rollers, which pulley is suitably connected, as by a belt, to the shaft of the motor 18, which not only turns the pulleys 15, to give a vibrating sensation of the elevator, but also moves the curtain 26 past the window 7 of the elevator. In order to maintain this curtain taut, l have provided a turn-buckle 2"( to spread the :framework 2Q apart, the apparai'zus 20 blt-:ingrl Vit so mounted that they may be separated from each other or brought near together without diiiiculty, as will be readily understood from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 3. This endless curtain is preferably constructed v of translucent material and is shown provided with an imitation of girders 28 painted upon one surface thereof. These girders are preferably painted with opaque material for a reason which will be hereinafter explained. The curtain 26 is so positioned that its outer surface passes adjacent to the window 7 of the elevator, and gives the occupants of the elevator the impression that the car is moving upward or downward, according to the movement of the curtain. To convey the impression that the car is moving to a high altitude, the picture projecting machine 22 may be operated to throw a picture of clouds upon the under surface of the translucent curtain, thereby giving the effect of clouds showing between the girders.

The auditorium 6 is constructed in the form of an observatory having the seats 29, with a railing 30, positioned in frontI of the seats. One wall of the observatory is provided with a window 31 facing in the same direction as the window 7 of the elevator 5. This auditorium is provided with an exit door 32, shown positioned in the same wall as the window 31. The seats 29 are arranged in elevated position to direct the attention of an audience to a screen 33 having suitable translucent material against which suitable pictures may be projected. The screen is preferably on a lower horizontal plane than the floor 34 of the auditorium to give the audience the impression that they are looking down from an observatory tower upon a city or the surrounding country. To carry out this effect to a further extent, the platform 35 may be so constructed as to give the impression of height to the observation tower and, in the drawings, I have shown this platform as substantially triangular in form with downward depending iianges 36, said flanges being painted to represent receding walls.

In operation, the audience is admitted through door 8 to the elevator or reception room 5, where the peo-ple are detained for a short space of time pending their admission to the auditorium or observatory 6. The attendant now grasps the lever 19 moving the same to a position to turn on the current to motor 18. This motor, by means of the belt 17 and 17a, operates to rotate the shafts 15 and pulley 25a, thereby causing a vibrating sensation'to the elevator and at the same time vmoving the curtain 26 past the window? of the elevator. After Vthe motor has run'for a suflicient lengthof time, an operator at theprojecting machine 22 'within the 'compartment 21, may operate said machine tolthrow Vpict-ures of clouds upon .the translucent curtain 26, giving the persons within the elevator 5 the impression that the elevator has ascended to a high altitude. If desired, a cloud effect may be projected upon the window 31 of the observatory by any suitable means. 'Ihe motor may now be stopped by reversing the lever 19 and the people admitted to the auditorium 6 through the door 9. Upon entering the observatory, they will view the clouds through window 31, similar to those seen through window 7 of the elevator. The railing 30 gives the impression of security against falling from the height to which the audience is supposed to have been carried, while the receding or depending flanges 36 will serve, further, to carry out this illusion. A suitable scene will, in the meantime, have been thrown upon the screen 33 by a. projecting machine ai, and further views or moving pictures may thereafter be thrown upon this screen. After the given number of views have been exhibited, the people are directed through door 32- out of the auditorium.

Having thus explained the nature of my invention, and described an operative manner of constructing and using the same, although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what I claim is 1. In an amusement apparatus of the class described, a reception room havinga plurality of doors and a window, an auditorium, an endless curtain, means to move said endless curtain across t-he window of the reception room, and means for projecting views against said endless curtain which may be seen through the window of thereception room.

2. In an amusement apparatus of the class described, a reception room having a plurality of doors and a window, a frame having a plurality of rollers mounted thereon adjacent to the reception room, a translucent curtain carried by said rollers and adapted to be moved across said window, said curtain being provided with substantially opaque material applied to portions of one surface thereof, said opaque material being representative of a skeleton structure l through which the reception room is apparently moving, and means mounted within said frame for projecting views upon-said curtain,

3. In an amusement apparatus of the class described a reception room having a window, a frame mounted'adjacent to said reception room, .an endless curtain mounted upon such frame and adapted to be moved across the window of said reception room, means for creating a vibrating motion to said reception room, and means 'mounted within said frame 'for projecting Vpictures within view ofthe reception room.

1. In an amusement apparatus of the class described, an auditorium having a plurality of seats, a platform arranged in front of the seats, a railing therefor, a screen positioned in front of the platform, means to project scenes upon said screen, and an illusionary receding plate depending from the platform, said plate being irregular in form to present an effect of altitude to the audience.

5. In an amusement apparatus of the class described, a reception room having a Window, a platform, upright members posi tioned at the ends of said platform, cross members connecting said upright members, rollers mounted on said upright members, an endless curtain carried by said rollers and means coperatinp,1 With said rollers to move the curtain across said Window, and means on said cross members for increasing and decreasing the tension on said curtain.

6. ln an amusement apparatus of the class described, a reception room having a Window, upright members, means for spreading said upright members apart and drawing them together', anti-friction members carried by said upright members, an endless curtain adapted to be moved over said anti-friction members and across said Window, and means for imparting motion to said curtain.

7. ln an amusement appa atus, a reception room having a floor, brackets secured to the under surface of said floor, said brackets having anti-friction members, similar brackets having anti-friction members mounted opposite to the brackets of the respective frame, a shaft mounted between the anti-friction members of said brackets and adapted to support the reception room, and means for rotating' said shaft.

8. In an amusement apparatus, a reception room having a Window, brackets depending` from said reception room, said brackets having` anti-friction members, similar brackets having anti-friction members mounted opposite to the brackets of the reception room, shafts mounted between the an'tisfriction members of the oppositely-positioned brackets and adapted to support the reception room, an adjustable frame positioned adjacent the Window of the reception room, rollers carried by said frame, an endless curtain mounted upon said rollers, and means for simultaneously moving said curtain across said Window and for revolving said shafts, whereby persons in the reception room may have the illusion of ridinp; in an elevator.

ln testimony whereof1 l affix my signature, in presence of tWo Witnesses.

GrlL. C. HALE.

Witnesses C. F. Basri-romaines, Roer. S. SrInnvE.

Copies of this patent may 'be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

